230 FIELD CROPS 



yields. All light seed, straw, dirt, and weed seed should be 

 removed by running the grain through the fanning mill 

 several times. By grading, seeds of uniform size and weight 

 are obtained, all of which contain practically the same quan- 

 tity of food material for the young plants. If proper care 

 is taken in sowing to cover the seed to a uniform depth, the 

 growth of the crop throughout the season is uniform, and 

 it all ripens at the same time, an important consideration. 

 After the seed has been cleaned and graded, it should be 

 treated with the formaldehyde solution recommended for 

 wheat smut (Section 196, c). This destroys any spores of the 

 flax wilt fungus which may adhere to the seed, and seems 

 also to be of actual benefit to the early growth of the plants. 

 The best method of treatment is to sprinkle the solution on 

 a pile containing from 5 to 10 bushels of seed, shoveling it 

 over so that it is" all reached by the fungicide. About one 

 half gallon of the solution is needed for each bushel of seed. 

 After all the seed is moistened, cover the pile with a canvas 

 or blanket for a couple of hours and shovel the seed over 

 once or twice during the first hour after treating. The seed 

 may be sown with the grain drill after it has been treated. 



290. Sowing the Seed. The usual method of sowing flax 

 is with the grain drill, the type with press wheels being rather 

 better than any other, as it helps to supply the firm seed 

 bed so necessary for the best growth of this crop. The usual 

 depth of seeding is from 3^ to 1 inch. In the United States 

 the common rate of seeding is from 2 to 3 pecks to the acre. 

 This seeding produces plants with numerous branches, and 

 encourages the production of large yields of seed. On the 

 other hand, thick seeding produces single stems, long straight 

 fiber, and comparatively few seeds. When flax is grown for 

 fiber, the rate of seeding should be greatly increased. The 

 quantity of seed sown for fiber production in Europe is 2 

 bushels or more to the acre. The young plants are quite 

 easily injured by late spring frosts, hence seeding should be 



